U.S. charges 3 for alleged smuggling conspiracy involving unaccompanied minors

Politics U.S. charges 3 for alleged smuggling conspiracy involving unaccompanied minors By Sarah N. Lynch, Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch, Nicole Sganga Nicole Sganga Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent Nicole Sganga is CBS News' homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C., and reports for all shows and platforms. Read Full Bio Nicole Sganga June 11, 2026 / 11:42 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The Justice Department announced on Thursday it has charged three people in Ohio for conspiring to smuggle unaccompanied minors across the U.S. border.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment against Maritza Azucena Cahuec Coc, Carlos Cahuec Coc and one other defendant is emblematic of a broader problem, in which fraudsters are often serving as "super sponsors" of three or more unrelated unaccompanied minors. Many of those children are then subsequently trafficked for labor or sex, he said. "When the government fails to protect our borders, it is the most vulnerable who suffer," Blanche told reporters at a news conference.The indictment, unsealed in the Northern District of Ohio, charges the defendants with 19 counts, including conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to enter the U.S., making false statements, identity theft and more.Markwayne Mullin, the secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, alleged that the Biden administration was derelict in its duty by failing to vet the sponsors of the children and to conduct wellness checks to ensure their safety. "The Biden administration, under true neglect at best and criminal at worst," allowed 450,000 kids to go missing, he alleged, adding that the Trump administration has so far located 146,000. The remaining 300,000 remain missing, he added. Mullin and Blanche did not suggest, however, ther...